Automatic fuel-feeder for internal-combustion engines.



c. 0. MILLER. AUTOMATIC FUEL FEEDER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Km. 1 9 1 0 2 w J m n 6 t a P .m M 9 am A M D E H w T c H DI P A IN 1 D! WITNESSES:

[A TTORNE VS.

COSBY D. MILLER, 01? JOSEPH, MISSOURI.

AUTOMATIC FUEL- FEEDER FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 9, 1915. Serial No. 13,234.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CosnY D. MILLER, a citizen of the'United States, residing at St.- Joseph, in the county of Buchanan and State v of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic F uel- Feeders for Internal- Combustion Engines,-

of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to improvements in liquid fuel feeders for feeding fuel into internal combustion engines, the objects of which are, first, to provide a feeder-of this class, which shall feed liquid fuel into the carburetor of an internal combustion'engine, under an unfluctuating predetermined pressure, and do the same from a source of fuel supply, the height ofwhich is varied in its relation to the height of said feeder,'as is I caused by varying road grades, in the operation of an automobile; second, to so construct a feeder of this class, that the pressure of thefed fuel shall be uniformly maintained, regardless of the speed of the engine, even though the speed of said engine be extremely slow; third, to so simplify the construction of the feeder, that there shall be practically no frictional resistance to the movements'of the moving parts, thereby reducing. fluctuation in the pressure of the fed fuel and also reducing wear of the moving parts, to such minimum, as is negligible;

'fourth, to so construct and arrange the parts of the feeder that practically all of the fuel vapor formed therein, is directed into said engine, thus utilizing said vapor and pro-v amount of fuel shall always be in' said feeder, ready for immediate use. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the ace upanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a section of the feeder and of the fuel tank cut through their centersand a side elevation of an engine and carbureterconnected therewith. Fig. 2 1s a horizontal section of the feeder, on the line X X, seeh in Fig. 1, looking downward. Fig. 3 is an enlarged section, similar to Fig. 1, of the fuel feeder.

Engine 1, (see Fig. 1,) is provided With 1 fuel intake pipe 2, having the reduced air intake end 2 formed therewith. Said pipe is provided with throttle 3 in the central portion thereof, and has carbureter 4 connected therewith, between said throttle and said reduced end. Fuel tank 5 is adapted to hold liquid fuel 6,, which is conducted therefrom through pipe 7, to the hereinafter described fuel feeder. Said tank is provided with a' fill cap 5, which has vent aperture 5" formed therethrough. Since said engine, its intake pipe, said throttle, said fuel tank and its fuel conducting pipe may be of any" well known forms, now generally in use, and do not form elements of this invention, the same are neither fully shown nor described.

The upper end of fuel pipe 7 is provided with check valve 8, for preventing backv flow of fuel therethrough. Said valve is connected by union 9, with nipple'10, which is connected with the side opening of the T shaped fitting 11. The bottom opening of.

said "fitting is connected by nipple 12, with float chamber 13. The upper opening of saidfitting is connected with vent tube 14, which has a small bore ll' formed therethropgh.

PatentedJuly 20, 1915 Air outlet opening 15 is formed through the center of the top of said float chamber.

The transverse area of said outlet opening U is much greater than the like area of bore 14. Said outlet opening has check valve 16 connected therewith, for preventing backflow of air therethrough. Said air outlet check valve is connected by pipe 17, with. engine intake pipe 2, at a point between engine 1 and throttle 3.

Float 18 is provided with guides 18',

which said float is vertically guided in chamber 13. Said float has valve 19 formed on the center of the top thereof, for adjustably closing opening-15, the adjustment of said valve being'regulate'd automatically, by the vertical movement of said float. Chamber 13 has fuel outlet opening 20 formed through the bottom thereof, and valve chamber 20' formed therewith, which latter communicates with said opening. Packing box' 21 i'sconnected with the bottom of said valve chamberl Said box is provided with packing compressor 21, screwed into the lower end portion thereof. Fuel outlet valve 22 is adapted'to close said outlet opening. .Said

valve is seared on the upper end 'velve ,H' 4 i i stem 92. lhe lower end gpiorrioii of said stem 18 ver rally guided in he low elem.

- guide which is screwed 'hrough the cenconduit 25 has, inner end coin d extends beyond the side of chain- The upper side oi": the extended por of said conduit is connected with the lowerend of stand pipe 26, ifihe upper end of which is open and laerniina'cs ala point l'iigjlier 1 ilie top of float ehaniher The upper end oi? carhureter feed pipe l is eonneeaed with said conduit, opposite the connection therewith of said stand pipe, While the lower end of said feed pipe is connected with carbureter l. Said carluureter connected by pipe 4:", with engine intake pipe 2, at a point between intake end 2" and throttle 3. V

In lllslillllfltlhll and operation of the de scribed fuel 'l'eediu: pipe 4: is formed ol such length as will 'ause a certain desired slatic fuel pressure at its lower end, and the liension of spring is so adjusted that he gravity olfi valve stem 22" and the thereon carried valve is only slightly overcome, for providing 'l'ucl outlet iii-cans that will he opened by static pressure oi fuel in chamber 3, upon lhe slightest rise of said pressure above the static pressure of fuel in This" :ulju. nienl; of said vulve ehainher '20 spring permits ready flow of chamber l3, through opening 120, v: lve chamber 20' and conduit 25 into stand pipe 26, for? (iflllullllllg the height oi the fuel in said chamber and stand pipe.

\Vifih the parts in the position seen in Fig. 1 engine 1 draws air from chamber l5 through its described pipe conneetionsa while all the saine (time a much less volume of z r enters said chamber: thus ltorming u purlnzil vacuum therein. While hie is done l bacx flow oi. Fuel from valve chaniher 20 through. opening 20,. 1S prevented hy \ulve lVhiie said partial vacuui'n exiuqs in chain her 13, air enf rs tank 5, through vent aperture 5", thus maintaining iliilHUSPllCl'lC/i -1- sure upon the liquid fuel U, that is contained in said tank.

with valre chamber .20, while its .uel from loat- 'l i hile said.

eniziened position, d valve equals zhe that said bore edvolunie oi": air which passing cherefroni uced opening 15, there chamber l3, 2i piutial vacuum v ighcly below atmes lieric pres me such done, the ins formed. auxiliary air inlet continually 1 small volume of air into inanifohl pipe L. which slightly reduces the richness or lihe i uel inixlauye in said pipe. in actual, prucl: ce said uiixlunie generally loo lllilll'l is very F li rich aiu'l the admission oi": ai ixiliary air adds to lihe lHIQEIU Y ol' the l ueli This is inl is 1e eemlilicun when She engine slow 4 l.

hness oi. the :ilzure need *1 lhe n us adIni'LLe-d PlP-K'Hlliii he same is accompislin 'ihe carhurelier i, in the i e i l-Lnown Ina] her, and since ll ul carpure cer are not origijinul cl in invenlioi the adjusting parts J l; :2 same, are neither shown nor described.

iii pa are in tl'iis i' z-sil1iiiii, the slain: purssur ol' the fuel in said Cllllll'lllli";

which fuel passes heighi of chi: level through opening the "ruel H! saul char her is lowered to the o'l" illi) he raised fuel, in si'aiul pipe merit of fuel, lowers iloai: and e n curried valve iii, therehv increasing: l'hc area oi air outlet wing 7" upon which 'Zhe pi u'iously do; ru'i'llunl ,uuui pro opiuaizion and. llow oi luel incide o take place it will he luulerslooih ihai for -earness .ol eluciihicien, the Viilel lll movement of lioai. 1S and ihe thereon carried alve ll) has heen (:Xilfjfl'lllllltlliln and that in actual operaljiiin'n thev i; not graviiialc io as low e i ti e are seen in Fig. 1.

' rein stand pipe 256 end of conduit and "o carliurefer l, from Incl into intake pipe 2 for use in engine 1, in the niain'icr. This usage or lahe level of the same, in )0, upon which the level of said 1 'nd to practically the same i I it of he fuel in .ieusl v described undersieod that the automatic and as previously fiuc guations in fleas chain heat chasm li iand 2, that all of the vapor arising from the fuel in chamber 13, passes therefrom,

carried valve 19 would thereby be raised I still further reducing the said area of opening 15, in accordance with the speed of said engine. Vhen this is done, the air passing through bore 14 again fills the thus formed partial vacuum, and the previously described flow of fuel from chamber 13 is repeated, thus at all times maintaining the height of fuel in said chamber at practically one point. p

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Eatent, is Y 1. The combination with a float chamber having an air outlet openingthrough the top thereof and a fuel outlet opening through its bottom and having an air inlet opening into the top of said float chamber; of a float in said chamber said float being vertically guided beneath said air outlet opening; a valve connected with and carried on the center of the top of said float for adjustably reducing the area of said outlet opening and thereby regulating the same: liquid inducting means adjustably controlled by said valve for drawing liquid fuel into said float chamber from a source of supply said fuel being adapted to raise said float and 'the. thereon regulating valve whereby saidindueting means is regulated upon the slightest movement of said float and said inducted fuel is maintained at practically one height in said float chamber; outlet closing means for closing said outlet opening said closing means being adapted to be opened by static pressure of said inducted fuel: air conducting means whereby atmospheric pressure is conducted onto the fuel which ha. passed through said outlet opening; and fuel conducting means whereby the last mentioned fuel is conducted to a predetermined lower level.

2. In a fuel feeder of the class described, the combination with a float chamber haviug an air outlet opening through the top thereof and a fuel outlet opening through its bottom: of a fuel supply tank below the level of said float chamber: fuel conducting means having its lower extremity connected with the bottom of said fuel tank and its upper end portion opening'downward into the top of said float chamber for prevent ing backward leaking of fuel therethrough from said float chamber; an air inlet tube connected with said upper end portion of said fuel conducting means, saidtube having an extremely'small bore therethrough; a non-return valve in said fuel conducting means; automatically regulated fuel inducting means whereby. liquid fuel is drawn from saidtank through said fuel conducting means into the top of said float, chamber;

fuel outlet means controlled by the static.

pressure of said inducted fuel for control-. hng outflow of fuel through said outlet opening: and fuel conducting means Whereby fuel is conducted from said outlet opening to a predetermined lower level.

3. The combination with a float chamber having an air outlet opening through the top thereof and a liquid fuel outlet opening through its bottom; of fuel conducting v means adapted to conduct liquid fuel from a source of supply into the top of said float chamber; air pumping means connected with said air outlet opening for pumping air from said float chamber: reduced air inlet means for admitting a smaller volume of air into said float chamber than is normally pumped therefrom thereby forming a partial vacuum in said float chamber for induction of fuel into said chamber: a float in said chamber guided by the wall thereof for vertical movement in said chamber; a

regulating valve formed with and carried.

on the top of said float ,whereby the area of said air outlet opening is regulated to varying amounts upon the slightest movement ofsaid float: a non-return valve for said'fuel outlet opening: elastic closing means for said non-return valve: adjusting means accessible from outside of said feeder whereby SHlCl elastic closing means 1s so adyu'ste-d that the static fuel pressure upon said valve opens the same when a small amount less than full atmospheric pressure is exerted upon said fuelrair conducting means whereby atmospheric pressure is conducted onto the fuel which has passed through said fuel outlet opening: and fuel conducting means whereby the last mentioned fuel is conducted to a predetermined lower level.

In testimony whereof I aillx my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

y OSBY D. MILLER. lVitnesses:

-Mxvr.rnuw B. l-liN'roN,

Joim J. HINTON. 

